I searched the forums and the "Power of playing tug with your dog" video that I have and I can't find a specific answer. I am wondering how you end your training sessions with your dog.

I know ME and Ed say to always end the session on a positive note and leave the dog wanting more. That's no problem.

The question I have is how, exactly, do you end your tug sessions? Do you trade him another toy? Give him food rewards? Praise? Wait until he loses the tug?

I have taught the "all done!" command so he knows the session is over, but I only use that when the tug is free. That can take a long time, especially during our morning training sessions and I'm pushing it getting to work on time already! I can out him right away, but I was concerned that if I outed him and then gave the "all done!", that eventually he wouldn't want to out because he would think the fun might be over.

Thanks!

At the park,I throw it a couple times and let him run around with it a little, tell him done, then carry it back to the car. Its not often I do anything at home.

If we play tug before my dog's run, I simply out her, then tell her "away". She wants to run, and that is plenty of high note for her. If she's already had her run, tug is last before going in. I tell her "done" after she has "won" the tug from me, and let her carry the tug inside.

I also let my dog carry the tug after I say 'all done'. She seems really happy to be allowed to hold onto it that much longer but the fact that we're not engaging with each other helps her calm down.

I think it's all part of the magic Lee, taking the tug away builds frustration which in turn builds drive for the tug. I never let a pup run with the tug off leash till the out is bombproof, otherwise he is self gratifying and as long as that is the case it's not a valid reward for training.
I do swap toy for food at the start, but ween it as soon as the dog gets "I start and I stop the game," then I randomly do it.Sometimes High value, sometimes low, sometimes toy, sometimes nothing. Always pets and praise though. Then I end everything with fresh water and ice, I know that sounds crazy but ice is one of Zocha's highest value treats

To be totally clear, does this
" taking the tug away builds frustration which in turn builds drive for the tug"
mean that you don't let the dog carry the tug after the game is over? Or that you do, if the out is solid?

Probably me ..... I'm not completely clear on this:
"I think it's all part of the magic Lee, taking the tug away builds frustration which in turn builds drive for the tug. I never let a pup run with the tug off leash till the out is bombproof, otherwise he is self gratifying and as long as that is the case it's not a valid reward for training."

 Quote:

. I never let a pup run with the tug off leash till the out is bombproof, otherwise he is self gratifying and as long as that is the case it's not a valid reward for training.

Do you mean like run off with it, as in he's not bringing it back? How about more detail Billy? That's not the same as letting him keep what he just worked so hard for. I understand about the frustration, but I don't know if Lee's dog needs that, I know its counter productive with mine.

@ Connie, I don't let the dog carry the tug when the game is over, to be honest I don't think Zocha would carry the tug back to the car, she would be trying to drive it into my hands to get me to tug again. She doesn't want the tug, she wants to play tug, the tug is irrelevant, it is the "play" she wants. I can pull anything out leather tug, firehose tug, towel if it was strong enough, jute rope, she has no bias, just wants the action. Sometimes the tug lasts 3 seconds, doesn't matter she is in full drive, when I let her win, she turns and drives the tug back into my hands at crotch level to re engage.
I'm by no means saying what Steve, Duane and Samantha do is wrong, I was saying until the out was bombproof off leash, and the dog didn't self satisfy on the tug, I wouldn't. If you want tug to be your reward for performing a command, it has to be very high value, and if the toy alone is High value, it really isn't great as a reward for training, the game must be the reward.
Hope that makes sense.

Yes exactly what I meant Steve. I took from the OP she was training a pup, and you, Duane and Samantha were talking about your dogs who are more advanced.
What I was trying to emphasise was I wouldn't give the tug to the pup to self satisfy. When I am training a pup, I take the tug away and replace with food, pet and praise. Enforcing the toy is mine, I let you play with it, and when I am done so are you. When that is accomplished I ween off the food. I want tug to be the greatest thing in my dogs life, when it is 5 years old (or ball/fetch whatever).
Hope that clarifies
Actually my last dog popped into my head, Sable, she was a weak nerved show shepherd,tug was too much for her, but fetch she loved. I did train her and in the strictest of situations she would chase the ball sprint back to me, sit in front and open her mouth when I put my hand under her chin. But when we were out for a leisurely walk, I would throw the ball, she would pounce on it, fly back and throw the ball at me from 5 yards away, so was the ball the High Value reward or the game ?

Edited by Billy Shaw (05/06/2013 08:47 PM)
Edit reason: Sable stuff

Yeah, I agree a lot of things don't have an absolute right or wrong. Its just confusing, the way you're phrasing the out off leash and self gratifying reads like the dog running off with it, not pushing back to you with it. Actually I like the pushing it back a little on the way to the car. Me ignoring it is an easy, no conflict way of reinforcing what done means.

You're kinda losing me on the giving him a lower value item like food enforcing the toy is yours. Bringing it out and starting, then putting him away without it is about all I ever do with that. What tells you that's been accomplished?

AS far as Sable playing, I don't know. Maybe the food was higher value then you thought and she can't wait to get that dirty ball out of her mouth for some hot dog. Maybe carrying her prize for a while would have kept her from spitting before you told her to. (Lol, just kidding)